


The Unicorn Curse

by celestial_seraphim



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Gen, M/M, because it's a fun au, fiddauthor - Freeform, i'm bringing this back, last unicorn au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2016-10-16
Packaged: 2018-08-22 21:48:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8302393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celestial_seraphim/pseuds/celestial_seraphim
Summary: Through the curse of an enchanter, Fiddleford has been transformed into a unicorn. Forced into the woods to avoid hunters, he runs into Stanford, an outcast who roams the wilderness in solitude due to the odd anomaly of his sixth fingers. He agrees to help Fiddleford find a way to break the curse and go on a journey to find this enchanter.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It it wasn't obvious, The Last Unicorn inspired this idea. It's not a retelling of that story. That's why I'm not listing it under the fandoms, but it was definitely an inspiration for it.

Fiddleford wasn’t sure how long it had been since “the incident” which had turned him into a mythical beast known as a unicorn. Ever since then he had taken refuge in the forest, staying out of sight for fear of hunters and those who would do him harm. Dead leaves crumbled beneath his hooves as he walked, his blue eyes glinting in the morning light. “Dammit,” he cursed to himself as his horn got entangled in some stiff vines. He was still getting the hang of this new body that was so different from being a human. He grumbled as his hunger forced him to eat grass and various roots. He so desperately missed his mother’s cooking and quite often in times like this, homesickness washed over him like an enormous tidal wave. Basically, he was stuck here. His fear of being seen by other humans was so great that he didn’t venture from the forest, though he knew that if he wanted to find a way to be transformed back, he needed to leave. He supposed this was what the wizard had planned. His own fear would keep him here forever. “What did I ever do to deserve this? It’s not fair!” A sudden snap of a twig broke the peaceful aura of the forest, causing Fiddleford to gallop behind a tree, peeking around its trunk. “I’ve heard that people have spotted it over here..come on!” Two humans who looked to be hunters of some sort emerged from the shade of the trees.

   “Are you sure people aren’t making this up? I thought unicorns aren’t real or extinct or something,” a young boy whined behind the older man.

   “Oh, it’s here alright. Take a look..hoof marks!” the hunter knelt down, gingerly running his finger over the hoof imprints in the decaying leaves. Fidds whisked his tail around nervously, not knowing if he should make a run for it or not. As the hunter and the boy investigated the area, they came close to the tree Fidds was behind. His heart beat fluttered as he heard the muffled footsteps approaching. “Hey, dad, there’s something behind this tree.” At that, Fidds took off at full speed towards the lake.

   “There it is! After it!” Fiddleford huffed as he dodged through trees and brush, nearly tumbling over about a dozen times.

He knew the lake had a few hiding spots that could keep him hidden. He gazed above as he ran, watching the morning light filter and glimmer from the canopy. The smell of water and mud filled his keen nose as he spotted the glitter of the water up ahead. Just as he came upon the shore, a human’s figure crossed his path, causing him to skid to a stop using his hooves and whinnying in surprise. Not knowing what else to do, he sprang up on his hind legs and let out a shrill whinny to try to scare them away. The startled man looked to be around Fidds’ age, in his twenties. He held two six fingered hands up, prepared to shield himself. Seeing the soft look in the man’s brown eyes through reflective glasses, Fidds sank back down onto his front legs. He still paced nervously and kept whipping his head back to see if they were coming.

   “Woah, woah..settle down. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you,” the stranger cooed, inching towards Fidds.

   “I need to find a place to hide,” Fidds thought, his golden horn shimmering a bit.

   “Um, I can help you! If you follow me, there’s an outcrop by the lake that should be large enough to hide you,” he pointed over by the far end of the small lake.

   “Wait, you can hear me??” Fidds asked, moving his gaze over to the traveler.

   “Uh, yeah. I think I can hear your voice through that horn of yours.”

Both of them heard voices gradually growing louder from the direction Fiddleford had come from.

   “Come on, we have to hide you!” Not having any other choice, Fidds galloped after the human.

They both hid in an outcrop covered by vines that hung over it like a curtain, hiding the unicorn and human perfectly. Both of them held their breath as they heard the footsteps walk past.

   “Hmm, it must’ve gone past here. Let’s go!” The footsteps quickened and sprinted over the hill, leaving a trail of crushed leaves and broken twigs. The brown haired human peeked around the vines and motioned to Fidds that the coast was clear. Fiddleford shook a few leaves from his mane as he exited the outcrop.

   “Phew, that was a close one. So, unicorn, do you have a name?” the human asked, turning toward him.

   “Oh, my name’s Fiddleford, but you can call me Fidds for short if you want. What’s your name?” Fidds replied, horn glowing.

   “Me? I’m Stanford. Nice to meet you, Fiddleford. Wow, I thought unicorns were extinct. I guess you must be the last one,” Ford gazed at him with a shimmer of wonder in his eyes.

He suddenly pulled out a leather bound journal and began scribbling notes down.

   “Hope you don’t mind, but I’m just going to draw a quick sketch of you, since I probably won’t meet another unicorn.”

   “Well, that’s fine, but I’m not really a unicorn,” Fidds corrected, stomping his hoof. Ford gave him a puzzled look, stopping his sketching for a moment.

   “But you are a unicorn. I mean you’re standing right in front of me.”

   Fidds shook his head back and forth. “Yeah, right now I am, but I used to be a human. I was transformed into a unicorn by a magical spell. I want to find a way to break this spell and change back, but because of the hunters, I’ve been stuck in this forest.”

Ford tucked away the journal and pencil, walking closer towards Fidds.

   “Oh, I’m so sorry. That sounds awful,” Fidds let Ford stroke his snout softly.

   “Well, tell you what, I’ll help you. I’m a traveller of sorts, you see. How about you come with me. If we can figure out a way to hide that horn of yours, people would just think you’re my horse.”

   “Oh, I think I might be able to make it invisible. Hold on, I’m still getting used to his unicorn stuff,” Fidds closed his eyes, furrowing his brow, and trying to focus. Ford watched as the golden horn slowly disappeared until only a dark spiral where the base had been was all that remained.

   “Woah, you did it! Amazing!” Ford smiled, gazing at Fidds in awe. Fiddleford wasn’t sure if unicorns could blush, but if so, he was blushing like crazy.

   “Umm, I’m not sure how to get out of here. So, I’ll need you to lead the way,” Fidds’ voice echoed in Ford’s head as the unicorn walked up to him.

   “Oh, r-right! Follow me!” They walked through the forest in silence for a ways. The afternoon sunlight shone through the trees, causing Fidds’ blonde mane to glimmer.

   “So, is it weird being a unicorn when you used to be a human, like walking around on four legs and having a tail and such?” Ford asked as the forest began to grow thinner.

   “Yeah, and it still is. I have to eat grass and stuff. I mean, now it’s fine, but I still miss eating normal human food.” Fidds eyed Ford’s odd hands as they walked. “I’m pretty sure people don’t normally have six fingers on each hand, right? I mean, when I was human I only had five,” Fidds lowered his head to get a closer look. “Oh, no...just me. It’s a rare feature I was born with. I try to stay away from wizards and magic users. They tend to be a little too interested in my six fingers, saying it’s a rare anomaly or a sign in some prophecy or something.”

   “Yeah, I’m definitely staying away from wizards and the like once I get changed back,” Fidds muttered. Both of them spotted a bright light shining at the end of the lines of trees, signaling the end of the forest.

   “Never thought I’d be leaving the forest with a human changed unicorn, but I suppose this world’s full of surprises.”


	2. Chapter 2

Stanford busily scribbled down notes in his small leather bound journal he kept with him. He often documented strange and interesting things he saw on his travels through the wilderness and small villages. He tended to stay away from very populated areas. It didn’t help that Fiddleford had no idea where they were going or even how to find the enchanter that turned him into a unicorn. Stanford knew of a few well known wizards. He had suggested consulting one of them, which Fiddleford only replied with a “they can’t do anything for me. It has to be him.”

   “Come on, Fiddleford. There’s one nearby. Let’s at least see what she has to say or if there’s anything she can do,” Stanford suggested once again.  
They were currently headed down a dirt road, passing by only a few others. They paid them no mind since Fiddleford’s horn was hidden by magic.  
Fiddleford exhaled in a kind of sigh as he glanced over at him.  
   “Alright, fine, if you think it’ll help. I just don’t feel comfortable with having to go through a village to get there,” he said with his mind.  
It was a voice only Stanford could hear.  
   “Look, I’m not too keen on it either, but if you want help with your little problem here, we’re gonna have to make contact with other people.”  
   “And what if I’m discovered as a unicorn?”  
   “Then we’ll get out of town. I won’t let anyone hurt you,” Stanford promised, keeping a hand on the unicorn’s side.  
Fiddleford wasn’t exactly sure if he could trust him yet, but at this point, he really didn’t have a choice. His blue eyes were fixated on the buildings that crept up closer and closer the further they walked down the road. It soon ran into the middle of the town, acting as a main street. There were inns, shops, and houses along with farms in the far distance. A few curious people gave a second glance at the strange man and the horse passed through. They found any strange travellers interesting since it was something that didn’t happen often. And to them, Fiddleford was a magnificent horse, not like the ones in their village. His golden hair and mane seemed to shimmer in the faint sunlight. Stanford was sure to keep his hands in his pockets as to avoid any unnecessary interactions. In small villages like this, differences like the sixth finger on his hands were an oddity which usually landed him the label of freak or cursed or even attempts to put him in the circus.  
   “Your horse must be well behaved to walk around without a bridle or the like to help you guide it.” A strange man in a black cloak approached.  
Stanford could’ve sworn he saw an odd yellow glimmer in his piercing eyes, though most of his face was hidden by the cloak and his hat.  
   “He’s well trained. There’s no need for restraints like that on him,” Stanford said simply. “Wish I could stay and chat, but we’re travelling and we must press on.”  
   “I understand, but please at least allow me to buy you a drink, weary traveller. I’m sure your horse would appreciate a bit of rest. I’d like to know a few of your stories.”  
Stanford did consider it. A drink at a tavern sounded nice. He couldn’t remember the last time he allowed himself the luxury, but he looked over at Fiddleford and saw the weariness in his eyes. He almost seemed to be shaking his head, as if he could see something that Stanford couldn’t see about this man. The invisible outline of his horn was even starting to shimmer.  
   “Uh, thank you, really, but I need to get going. My horse is a bit uneasy here. Good day.” Stanford awkwardly bowed before prompting Fiddleford to walk forward with him towards where the woods began again.  
Once they were within the safety of the trees, he stopped and faced the unicorn.  
   “You saw something about him I didn’t, didn’t you? Is it some kind of unicorn thing?”  
“It seems that I can feel peoples’ true intentions even when they’re trying to hide it, which is what he was definitely doing. There was a strange aura about him that I didn’t like. Whatever he had planned for us, it was nothing good. But I trust you because your aura is trusting. I guess that’s the gist of it. I’ve only been a unicorn for a short time, so I don’t really understand this stuff.”  
He kicked his foreleg around, shifting the leaves on the ground with his hoof almost in a nervous gesture. Stanford nodded, though it was a rather vague description. Whatever Stanford was about to say next was cut short when he heard footsteps through the leaves behind them. It was still rather far off but enough to put them both on edge.  
   “Let’s go,” he whispered and ran alongside Fiddleford.  
When Stanford began to tire from running, Fiddleford grunted and finally let him ride on his back, sprinting through the woods at a breakneck speed, hoping the other was holding on tight.  
He kept running and running until his chest was heaving, and the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon. Once he stopped, Stanford hopped off of him and patted his side.  
   “I think we’re safe for now. Not sure who that was, but probably best we didn’t stick around to find out. We’ll camp here for tonight. I’ll get a fire started.”  
Fiddleford leaned against a tree slightly, trying to catch his breath. It was exhilarating being able to run that fast. He had no idea that having four legs and hooves could make one so fast. Stanford got a fire going rather quickly, being quite good at it from his time in the wilderness. He unpacked some dry meats he had in his jacket, munching on that. Fiddleford trotted over and nudged Stanford’s head with his nose, wanting a bit of it. He knew it wasn’t something unicorns would normally eat, but he was technically a human. Stanford chuckled and put a piece near his mouth which was quickly gobbled up.  
   “Oh, look, it’s a full moon out tonight.” Stanford pointed up at the sky where the moon now shone brightly, illuminating the trees in its cold light.  
   “How pretty,” Fiddleford thought.  
He was too busy staring up at the stars that began to appear and the changing color of the sky to notice a drastic change due to the moon. Stanford watched him transform, jaw going slack as a human now stood in front of him.  
   “Uh, F-Fiddleford? You’re..kinda not a unicorn anymore,” he stammered, trying to get the other’s attention.  
   “Stanford, what are you talking abou-”  
It was then that Fiddleford noticed he was shorter and standing on two legs now. Looking down, he saw his own hands in front of him and felt his own hair running through his fingers.  
   “B-but, how, why?”  
   “Um, it probably has something to do with the night or the moon or something. You must change back then is what I’m guessing,” Stanford said, still in disbelief that he was looking at the actual Fiddleford. “Oh, you’re probably quite cold. Come sit by the fire with me.”  
He patted the ground next to him. He tried his best to hide his embarrassed blush, hoping he wasn’t staring for too long. Eventually, Fiddleford nodded when a shiver ran through him, and he plopped next to Stanford, holding out his hands towards the fire. He was wearing what he had on before he was changed: a light tunic, pants, and boots.  
The tunic did almost nothing to keep him warm. Instinctively, he leaned against Stanford for warmth. Stanford prayed Fiddleford wouldn’t notice how red his face became when he cuddled up to him for warmth. He had only seen Fiddleford as a human for a few minutes now, and he had to admit, he was pretty cute, though he kept that to himself.  
   “I’m happy to be human again, even if it’s just for the night,” Fiddleford muttered, resting his head on the other man.  
   “Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to break the curse..we both will.”  
Fiddleford barely nodded as he began to drift off, listening to Stanford’s calming voice and the crackling of the wood in the fire.


End file.
